Long-term implantable silicon carbide neural interface device using the electrical field effect

Abstract

Field effect devices, such as capacitors and field effect transistors, are used to interact with neurons. Cubic silicon carbide is biocompatible with the neuronal environment and has the chemical and physical resilience required to withstand the body environment and does not produce toxic byproducts. It is used as a basis for generating a biocompatible semiconductor field effect device that interacts with the brain for long periods of time. The device signals capacitively and receives signals using field effect transistors. These signals can be used to drive very complicated systems such as multiple degree of freedom limb prosthetics, sensory replacements, and may additionally assist in therapies for diseases like Parkinson's disease.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An implantable neural interface device, the device comprising:
 a control unit; 
 at least one substantially planar neural probe coupled to the control unit, each of the at least one substantially planar neural probes comprising;
 at least one neural tissue stimulation device comprising at least one electrolyte insulator semiconductor capacitor (EISCap) having a cubic silicon carbide (3C—SiC) base and a biocompatible and chemically resistant gate insulator, wherein neural tissue in contact with the electrolyte insulator semiconductor capacitor (EISCap) forms a gate conductor to generate an electric field to stimulate the neural tissue at least partially surrounding the at least one substantially planar neural probe; and 
 at least one neural tissue stimulation receiving device comprising at least one field effect transistor having a cubic silicon carbide (3C—SiC) base, wherein neural tissue in contact with the at least one field effect transistor forms a gate conductor and wherein the at least one neural tissue stimulation receiving device receives ionic changes generated by the neural tissue resulting from the electric field stimulation by the at least one neural tissue stimulation device. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is hermetically sealed. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 , wherein the conductive network is formed of graphene or pyrolized polymers. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises circuitry selected from the group consisting of control circuitry, routing circuitry, signal generation circuitry, signal processing circuitry, wireless communication system circuitry and power system circuitry. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the power system circuitry comprises a power supply selected from the group consisting of a rechargeable battery supply and a wireless power reception supply. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the conductive network is formed of graphene or pyrolized polymers. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the gate insulator is silicon carbide. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 7 , wherein the silicon carbide is selected from the group consisting of amorphous silicon carbide and polycrystalline amorphous silicon carbide. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte insulator semiconductor capacitor further comprises a conductive network. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the field effect transistor further comprises a conductive network. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the field effect transistor is a junction field effect transistor (JFET) and wherein the JFET does not include a gate insulator. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the field effect transistor is an electrolyte insulator semiconductor field effect transistor (EISFET). 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the gate insulator is diamond. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 13 , wherein the diamond is selected from the group consisting of single crystalline diamond, polycrystalline diamond, nanocrystalline diamond and ultracrystalline diamond.